By Shane Callaghan

The World Cup-winning coach has heaped praise on English football and credited it for aiding the progress of a number of La Roja players.

Spain boss Vicente del Bosque has acknowledged the importance of the Premier League in the development of Spanish players.

The 62-year-old coach noted the emergence of Cesc Fabregas as a prime example and admits the rigors of English football have provided a valuable education for a number of his squad.

“The departure of Spanish players to other leagues, and especially to the English league, has grown Spanish football and has been good for the national team," he told reporters. “Already we have seen this with the evolution of Cesc Fabregas and this trend is now increasing.

“We have followed everyone in England via television and scouting reports that have come in on all the players. But, I’m very glad to have seen them live and how they all did."

The former Real Madrid boss also addressed the phenomenal form of Swansea striker Michu, after paying a visit to Goodison Park to see the former Rayo Vallecano man in action on Saturday.

Despite scoring 13 times for The Swans this season, Del Bosque admits he will have his work cut out if he is to secure a place in the national side.

“He plays in a position where we also have [Andres] Iniesta, [Juan] Mata and [David] Silva, among others. Those players have been champions of Europe and the world," he added. "But that does not mean we’re ignoring the best performances. It is great that our players are out there.”